That Young Earl, Longsuffering
by SugaryCarnival
Summary: The Earl of Phantomhive suffers much. Between duties to his Queen, dealing with  suspicious Lau, pleasing his young fiance, and making life difficult for his own snarky butler, the Earl of Phantomhive hardly has time for anything else-including dessert!
1. That Young Earl, In the Morning

My first fanfic. Please review with any suggestions!

Disclaimer: Kuroshitsuji (c) Yana Toboso

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><p>That boy had very few pleasures left in life. But there was at least one sense that was left intact.<p>

He loved eating. Anything. Especially sweets. He considered it his right. Much of his childhood and innocence was gone—either taken or bartered away—but he still appreciated the simple pleasures of chocolate, cookies, cakes, and candies. At times, it was the only thing that reminded him of his humanity.

That morning, he was eating dry toast with succulent strawberry preserves. The tangy sweetness of the jelly played against the blandness of the toast in his mouth. He savored not only the taste, but also the texture of each bite. He enjoyed the feeling of the harsh, rough toast joined with the smooth, gelatinous preserves against his tongue. The young Earl washed it down with a sip of Earl Grey. He inhaled the warm air above his tea cup, the mild floral aroma enveloping his senses. He took another piece of toast from the carefully-arranged toast rack to repeat the almost religious experience.

"Good morning, Young Master." It was the butler.

Earl Phantomhive, shaken from the sensuous reverie of his breakfast, lifted his dull blue eye to meet his butler's gaze. He did not respond.

"I have brought the post for you," he continued, setting down a pile of envelopes and pouring more tea into Ciel's cup. "You may want to review them straight away."

Ciel fingered through the pile of thick envelopes, tossing aside the party invitations and inspecting prospective business inquiries. Suddenly, he stopped. One of the letters was unmarked except for the letters "E.P.". Turning the envelope over, he found that familiar insignia.

"Sebastian," Ciel prompted, rising to his feet. "Is the carriage ready?"

"It can be in a few minutes, Young Master." Sebastian was already clearing the table.

"We must go into town today."

"Yes, Young Master."

Ciel walked toward the door, his mind already up the stairs, down the hall and in his room to collect the necessary effects for the trip. "Master?" his butler called.

"What?"

"Your breakfast - was it pleasing to you?"

Ciel deliberated for a second, "What is there to say about toast and tea? I hardly pay attention to such things."

A smile played across Sebastian's face. "Very good, Young Master." But Ciel had already left the breakfast room.

~ 次回 ~

Not thirty minutes later, Ciel and his butler had left the estate, heading due east toward London. Typically, the drive into town was about 75 minutes, but with Sebastian at the perch, it rarely was over 45. Ciel, still drowsy, stared out the quarter lights, his chin resting in his hand and his fingers slipped beneath the thin leather strap of his eye patch. The sky was dark and overcast-a thoroughly British day, he thought. A perfect day to devote to Queen and Country.

He removed the letter from his coat. Again, he eyed the seal-the royal standard supported by a lion and a unicorn. He caressed the thick sealing wax with the tip of his finger before breaking the seal.

The message was short and devoid of the normal flowery language and stiff platitudes that accompany a royal summons. It simply read:

Queen Victoria requests your

presence at her palace at

your earliest convenience.

Ciel knew that this would be the message. It always was. He folded the letter again and replaced it in his coat's breast pocket. The carriage jostled, shooting Ciel's thirteen-year-old body to the hood and plummeting him back to the carpeted floor of his carriage.

"Sebastian!" Ciel's voice cracked, a common occurrence as of late.

"Begging your pardon, Young Master!" Sebastian's voice was cheerful. "You know how these roads are!"

Ciel repositioned himself on his seat and rubbed his head, muttering indistinguishably.

~ 次回 ~

Ciel and his butler emerged from Buckingham palace later that day.

"Her Majesty really is an extraordinary person," Ciel commented to Sebastian as they set off toward the Upper East end. The clicking of Ciel's walking stick complimented the shuffle of their feet.

"Naturally, yes. Why in particular do you say so?"

"She summoned me today under the pretense of requiring an update of my management of the opiate underworld, but really, I believe that she just wanted to see me."

"That is quite an accusation to make against our monarch, Young Master. Why do you think that?"

Ciel stopped, frowning. "Whenever I come, she pats my head to greet me, offers me sweets, and generally treats me like a child. And she takes _pleasure_ in it."

Sebastian laughed. "Surely, the Queen, who has no young children of her own, enjoys seeing you! I'm sure there are very few children in the palace these days."

"Perhaps, but it makes me second guess her confidence in my competency. Additionally, even if I were simply a child and not her manager of certain assets or the owner of England's most successful toy and confectionery company, I am thirteen - isn't her treatment somewhat infantilizing?"

"Ah! But you do not _appear_ to be thirteen! Anyone would guess that you are not more than ten."

Ciel shot a menacing glare from his eye and walked indignantly in front of his butler.

Sebastian sighed. "Young Master, the Queen may be extraordinary, but you are a singularity. I have no doubt of her confidence in you."

"Do not patronize me," Ciel responded coldly. "My life is not a mystery to you."

Sebastian laughed again. "Don't go on an emotional tirade. If your life had no mystery to me, I wouldn't stick around."

"You wouldn't dare leave me." Now Ciel was smiling. "Our bond is immutable. Mutually beneficial. You need me, and I need you." The clicking of their boots continued in rhythmic succession.

"Is that all you have to say about it?" Sebastian softly hissed. Ciel turned his head to his shoulder for a moment and then continued his stride. That butler, he thought.

That man.

That creature.

He was 6 feet tall and elegantly figured. His limbs were lithe and almost effeminate, but Ciel had seen the power that they possessed and long had dismissed him as the strongest man he knew. His hair, like Ciel's own, was black and straight. But unlike Ciel's lip-length hair that subtly covered the patch on his left eye, the tips of Sebastian's fringe caressed his narrow chin. Today, his eyes were brown and narrowed in acute and weathered observation of his surroundings. Any passerby would think him to be in his early twenties. But Ciel knew better.

~ 次回 ~

The smell of Lau's den was sickly sweet. Ciel was quite accustomed to its scent, and today, it was the first sign that their journey through the East End was nearly over.

As Ciel and his butler entered the dimly-lit den, Lau greeted them with Chinese blessings of good luck and wealth. Lau was the owner of a Chinese trading company - not the only Chinese trading company in London, but certainly the largest.

The Queen had graced him with permission to distribute certain substances of oriental descent in London under a few provisions: 1) Her Majesty had exclusive power to regulate the quality and quantity of these _Papaver __somniferum_ derivatives and 2)she received 50% of the profits. As the hereditary manager of her business in such delicate matters, the Earl of Phantomhive often frequented Lau's opium den to ensure that these provisions were carried out successfully.

However, despite their largely business-like relationship, Lau was something of a friend to Ciel.

"Please, come in, Earl Phantomhive. Nice to see you, Sebastian. I'll have my ladies get you something to drink." He was reclining in an environment of plush, embroidered pillows with several beautiful attendants serving him food and drink.

"That won't be necessary, Lau. I'm only in town for another hour or so, and I have other things to do."

"Aw, don't be like that, Earl. Are you still drinking milk in your tea, or shall I put something harder in it?" Lau smiled mischievously.

"I'm here for the payment," replied Ciel, unfazed.

"Ah! Her Majesty is ever the consistent business woman, isn't she?" Lau replied as he slipped his hand into his embroidered silk coat pocket and pulled out an envelope. Sebastian approached the mass of pillows to retrieve it.

"Thank you. Good day." Ciel tipped his hat as he turned to leave.

"One moment, Ciel," Lau called. "I have something that may interest your fiancé."

Ciel stopped and turned back, scowling. "You don't even know who she is, Lau!"

"But I know that she exists!" He smiled so hard that his thin eyes were completely shut. "And I know that she must be rich and that she has everything."

Ciel rolled his eyes. "Surely, any dimwit could figure that out."

"But, Ciel, the only way to win her heart is by showering her with gifts! Any gentleman knows _that_ much about courting a lady."

"I see, and I suppose you are just the man to consult about such gifts?"

"You make me blush, Earl of Phantomhive!"

"And you make me sick."

Lau procured a small box from his coat pocket. "Give her this." He tossed it from his throne of pillows. "She will surely swoon," he said as Ciel opened the box.

Ciel gasped.

~ 次回 ~

A ring is what Ciel had expected to find in the box. What he did not expect was that the ring would still be attached to a finger. He shuddered and tossed the box to the ground, the heavy metal clinking to the floor and rolling with its decaying appendage in tow.

"What is the meaning of this?" He cried, indignantly.

"Tsk, tsk. Earl, your observational skills disappoint me. Surely, you know whose ring that is." Ciel stared at him blankly.

"I believe that it belongs to the Count of Le Mans, who recently paid the Queen a visit not three weeks ago," chimed in Sebastian.

Lau laughed. "Very good, Sebastian! Nothing gets past you!"

Ciel did his best to calm himself down. "You have a sick sense of humor, Lau."

"And you have no sense of humor, Earl." He laughed again. "That's why we are friends. We balance each other out."

Ciel stooped to pick up the ring. He removed it from the bloated finger of Le Mans and tossed the rotting flesh out the window. He examined it more carefully. No doubt, it belonged to the Count de Le Mans. Ciel recognized the coat of arms on the face of the ring.

"I assume that he is dead," Ciel said passively.

"You assume correctly," Lau replied.

"Did you kill him?"

"Why, Ciel! You think_ I_ killed him? You know that I can hardly be bothered to make my own tea, much less dirty my hands enough to kill a man!"

Ciel laughed - a rare occurrence. "You're right, Lau. Who, then? Who killed Monsieur de La Mans?"

"Who, indeed?" Lau stared enigmatically at Ciel, a smile dancing on his face.

"You mean you have no idea who killed him?" Ciel said in exasperation after a few seconds.

"Not at all. That's why I asked you!" Lau seemed quite amused with himself.

"It is none of my business. I am very busy, you know. Why should I care?"

"Because that man was responsible for smuggling in large amounts of controlled substances into this country without check. Clearly, he was very good at it, since you don't even know about it." Lau smiled furtively.

"But you knew?" Ciel narrowed his eyes. "Surely, you would be the one who would benefit the most from eliminating this competition."

"Me and the Defender of the Faith, the Queen."

Ciel thought for a moment. "You believe the Queen ordered him to be killed, don't you?"

"Perhaps - maybe. You know, I don't really care. I just thought you would know more about it. But, clearly, you don't." He wrapped his arm around the waist of one of his attendants and whispered something in her ear.

"I really must be going," Ciel said as he turned to walk out the door.

"Goodbye, Earl! Godspeed!"

~ 次回 ~

Back on the street, Ciel and his butler began their journey back to the center of the city.

"Let's get a remise, Sebastian. I'm tired."

"Yes, Young Master." The Phantomhive carriage had a tendency of attracting unwanted attention on this side of town. It was their custom to walk to and from Lau's den from Buckingham Palace. But today, both time and Ciel's patience was running short.

They were safely in the cab of a hackney as a clap of thunder resounded in the sky, and they were not half-way back to the palace when it began to rain torrentially.

Ciel stared out the window, trying to make out the images of the streets of Piccadilly obscured behind a panel of water. Numerous figures of gentlemen clad in black overcoats, a child's white parasol, a lady's red dress...

"What are thinking, Young Master?"

Ciel sighed. "Nothing, really. I'm very tired today."

"Are you worried about the late Count?"

"Not really. It isn't any of my concern."

"Are you sure about that?" It was less of a question and more of a suggestion.

"I'd rather not think about it right now, Sebastian." Ciel said as he crossed his arms.

"Eventually, you will need to."

"Why?"

"Because the Count is not dead."

"Lau said that he was."

Sebastian rolled his eyes. "And you believed him. You are therefore both guilty of thoughtless judgment."

Ciel grunted and raised his hand to smack his butler, but he was far too slow to have the desired effect. Sebastian smiled as he squeezed Ciel's wrist in his hand. He effortlessly lowered it back to Ciel's lap and whispered in his ear, "Now, now, Young Master. None of that." He concluded by blowing a playful puff of air into Ciel's ear. The Earl's face turned red as he turned his gaze back to the window. Sebastian released his grip and returned to his seat.

"We'll worry about it later, Sebastian." Ciel said softly as their taxi reached the palace.

"Yes, my lord," was the reply.


	2. That Young Earl, In the Afternoon

That Young Earl, In the Afternoon

After a busy morning in town, Ciel comes home to his estate for a comparably relaxing afternoon. This is all fluff—I mainly just wanted to write about Sebastian's cooking! Is that annoying? I just LOVE reading/writing about food!

My first fanfic! Please review - I appreciate any friendly suggestions and comments!

Disclaimer: Kuroshitsuji © Yana Toboso

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><p>The Earl and his butler turned the corner at the Phantomhive estate: a property so large that upon passing through the main entrance, the main house was not within view. First, Sebastian guided the carriage through what seemed like miles of green forest. Then, he rode by a pond with a boat house and dock. They passed a cottage, a gardener's shed, an antiquated chapel—all reduced to mere relics of what this estate had once been.<p>

Finally, they approached the house. It was a perfect example of Georgian architecture: a sprawling layout flanked by legions of perfectly manicured arborvitaes. It commanded the attention of any visitor. The house itself was the color grey that matched the overcast sky on most days, but the clouds had cleared from that morning, leaving the heavens a crisp cerulean.

Unfortunately, the beauty of his estate was lost on the Earl, having seen it hundreds of times since childhood. Instead, the appurtenances of his estate that he found most pleasing were the three servants that emerged from the house to greet their master. Within the confines of the carriage, he smiled at them—at Finnian, Bard, and Meirin.

They were a comical bunch, even on the worst of days—and klutzy to the core! Their shenanigans routinely caused extra work for Sebastian, which was an added plus as far as Ciel was concerned. He did enjoy seeing that butler work for his keep.

"We have arrived, Young Master." Sebastian opened the door of the carriage as the other three servants shouted a chorus of _hello_'s.

"Good afternoon, everyone." Ciel greeted them as he jumped from the final step of the carriage. "I'm quite hungry. Is lunch prepared?"

"Erm...well..." Bard began, scratching the back of his head.

"Bard burned the beef to charcoal!" Finni chimed in.

Sebastian sighed. "Bard, I have told you many times before to be less..._aggressive_ when preparing a meal."

"But, Sebastian," Bard retorted. "I've nearly got the broiling method down just right!"

"Bard, does your 'method' of broiling involve a flamethrower?" Sebastian queried tiredly.

"Of course!"

Finni bubbled in excitement as he recounted the grand story of the near-destruction of the entire kitchen due to Bard's unorthodox cooking techniques, and Meirin guided Ciel into the foyer to help him remove his coat.

"I hope your visit into town was nice, Master," she said in her thick cockney accent. She took her master's coat and opened a small door in the wall.

"That's strange!" She said as she grasped at the air behind the small door. "I can't find a hanger for Master's coat!"

"Meirin," Ciel proffered. "That is a dumbwaiter."

Meirin looked hurt. "There's no need to call anyone names!" she objected.

"No, Meirin," continued Ciel. "The coat closet is on the other side of the foyer. You've opened the door of the dumbwaiter."

Meirin stood silently for a few seconds, a look of confusion emerging from behind her thick glasses, before letting out an "Oh! I see!"

Ciel chuckled to himself as he made his way to his study.

~後に~

Ciel had just settled down to reviewing product specifications and contract bids when Sebastian rolled in with a cart.

"Master, for lunch I have prepared asparagus with red peppers and onions, shepherd's pie, and glazed carrots."

"You may leave it here." Ciel peered over his papers.

"Very good, Young Master." Sebastian turned to leave.

"And for dessert?"

Sebastian stopped to turn back to his master, a smile spread across his face. "Why, Master, I am hurt. You have not even tasted my culinary creations of the main course, and yet you are asking for the next thing."

Ciel did not entertain his butler's banter. "Chocolate mousse. Extra creamy. You know the way I like it."

"Ah, but, Master—I'm afraid that we are out of cocoa, as our entire stock fell victim to Bard's insufferable cooking skills."

"Then go get some more," was the immediate reply.

Sebastian gave a small bow. "Of course, Young Master." With that, he left the room, muttering something about the local trading post not being open today. After he left, Ciel peered at the colorful dishes on the cart. He sniffed the air. He was so hungry…

He started with the carrots. They were piled in a bowl like a heap of gold coins, and their taste was no less rich. The flavors of spicy cinnamon and butter were heavenly. They were sweet—yet tangy, somehow. _Perhaps a hint of...vinegar?_ He thought.

Next, the asparagus. He didn't care for asparagus generally, but their presentation made him forget that. They were laid on a bed of steaming red peppers and caramelized onions. The sheen of clarified butter made them almost sparkle. He lifted one to his mouth, biting of the juicy head. The sourness of the green blossom and the richness of the butter were a natural match. He ate the bitter stalk with spoonfuls of the sweet onions and peppers.

Finally, the _pièce de résistance_, the shepherd's pie. It was a hearty combination of ground beef (presumably salvaged from Bard's earlier mishap), thick gravy, corn, and peas concealed under a parsley-specked layer of mashed potatoes. Sebastian had broiled the dish just enough to make the surface of the mashed potatoes golden and crispy. The heady flavor of garlic brought all of the elements together perfectly, Ciel thought. That the dish was exquisite, he could not deny. In fact, he ate all of it.

No more than a few minutes after Ciel had finished, Sebastian brought in an elaborate parfait of chocolate mousse and strawberries garnished with whipped cream.

"Are you ready for desert, Young Master?"

Ciel placed one hand on his stomach. By his judgment, nothing else was going to fit.

"I couldn't eat another bite, Sebastian. Give it to Finni or someone else."

Sebastian's eye twitched slightly before he plastered a gleaming smile on his face, "Of course, Master. Whatever you wish."

Ciel watched with satisfaction as Sebastian cleared his now empty dishes, placing them with the untouched parfait on the cart and rolling them out of the study.

"Sebastian closed the door with more force than necessary," Ciel said to himself after his butler left.

Good.

~後に~

Ciel emerged from his study having made measurable progress on the new doll line. Being a boy, he knew that his judgment of toys for girls was perhaps not the best, which is why he enlisted special help.

"Lady Middleford has arrived, Young Master." Ciel looked up to see Sebastian approaching him from the other end of the long corridor.

"Very good. I will show her to the drawing room myself. I have several dozen prototypes for her to review. Please bring them to us there."

"Of course, Master—but, I wonder," Sebastian stopped where they met in the hallway. "Have you a gift for Lady Elizabeth?"

Ciel stared at him in confusion. "A gift? Why? Is it her birthday?"

"You know, Lau's advice this morning was not altogether facetious. A lady appreciates small tokens. I've seen the beneficial effects of them myself. You should try. She is your fiancé after all."

Ciel squirmed. "Well, what do you think she would like? I cannot really give her any of the doll prototypes today, especially if she likes one in particular. I'll need to keep it for further development." Ciel cradled the tip of his chin between his index finger and thumb—his habit when deep in thought.

"Master," Sebastian interrupted. "I have an idea."

"What is it?"

"Please leave it to me, and do not worry about it."

Ciel shrugged in acquiescence. "All right. I will lead Elizabeth to the drawing room."

~後に~

"Ciel!" That voice was quite familiar to the Earl. It often accompanied a hug in the form of a tackle, but today Lady Elizabeth Middleford stopped just short of plummeting into Ciel's chest.

"Oh!" she said, disappointed. She looked at her feet. "Mother said that it would be inappropriate to greet you like I normally do." She extended her hand with a smile. "I missed you so much, Ciel!"

Ciel took her hand, unaccustomed to this mild greeting. "The same to you, Elizabeth."

"It's Lizzy!" she objected. "How many times do I have to tell you?"

_Something isn't right_, he thought. Ciel glanced behind Lizzy's shoulder before pulling her in for a hug. Lizzy nearly melted in her ecstasy.

"That's more like the Lizzy I know," Ciel concluded softly to her before gently prying himself from her grip. "Please come this way to the drawing room."

As Ciel led his young fiancé through the house, he explained to her the particulars of doll-making: customer demographics, the price of silk versus cotton, the necessity for both elegance and good economy when it comes to designing a product...

But when he opened the door to the drawing room, his commentary on the market for ceramic materials was immediately ignored.

"Oh, Ciel! This one is so _pretty_! Oh, but this one, too—It looks like she is ready to go on a journey with her pretty riding cape." She gasped. "And this one is just _lovely_!"

Ciel watched and listened to Elizabeth as she praised each doll on the drawing room table. Each one was just "beautiful" or "cute" or "so _elegant_." He tried to take each comment in stride, judging what could be done to improve each doll. But it soon became apparent that this exercise was hopeless: Lizzy was simply too pleased with everything.

"...don't you think so, Ciel?"

Ciel was shaken from his thoughts. "Sorry, what?"

Lizzy frowned. "I said this one looks like _you_!" She held up a doll with short black hair, dressed in a sapphire blue waistcoat and matching breeches with lace adorning every border. On the doll's left eye was a black eye patch.

"What the—?" He took the doll and held it closer for inspection. It _did_ look like him. "I don't remember ordering a male proto—"

Lizzy gasped in delight. "Look! I found me!" She now held another doll in her hand. This one looked _exactly_ like Elizabeth. It had ivory skin, golden ringlets tied up into matching pigtails, large jade eyes, and (of course) a wide smile. It was outfitted in a lavish dress of red velveteen and gold embroidery. Suddenly, Ciel understood. He handed her his miniature self.

"For you, Milady."

Lizzy's eyes widened. "Oh, thank you, Ciel!" She clutched both of the dolls to her chest. "This is the best gift ever!" This time, she did not hesitate to tackle him in affection.


End file.
